“She rides out an awful lot, and she always gives her groom the slip. She’s out for hours.”
Edward leaned in and kissed her. “Stop worrying,” he murmured against her lips before drawing back a little. “We’ll speak to Crecy in the morning and see what she has to say, but I promise you, Belle, we’ll keep your sister safe. She’s part of the family now, and it is my duty to protect her as I would my own sister.”
Looking up into Edward’s serious green eyes, Belle could only be reassured. She smiled at him, reaching out a wet hand to grasp at his shirt and tug him closer. Belle pressed her lips against his in a slow lingering kiss.
“You’re really rather wonderful, aren’t you?” she said as she released him, amused and touched by the pleasure in his eyes at her words.
“I love you,” he said, his voice a little rough.
Belle sucked in a breath, unable to respond with any more eloquence that a little, surprised oh of wonder.
“You’ve never said that before,” she whispered, her fears for her sister momentarily forgotten in the light of her own joy.
“Because I’m a damned fool,” he said with a grunt. Edward shook his head and moved closer, drawing her as near to him as the sides of the copper bath would allow. “I love you, and if I’d had a scrap of sense, I would have told you months ago. How you’ve borne with me all this time when I’ve been ...”
Belle pressed a finger to his lips to stop him. “Don’t, Edward. It has been no hardship, I promise you. It only hurts me to see you so troubled when I can do nothing to help you.”
“Nothing to ...?” Edward began, staring at her with such incredulity that she wondered what she’d said wrong. “Are you out of your mind, love? Is this what I’ve brought you to?” Belle frowned, puzzled by the teasing tone of his voice. “You’ve done more to help me that you’ll ever know,” he whispered. “You’ve made me want to live again, to make a life for us both, to make you happy.”
Belle grinned at him like a fool, so hopelessly in love with the man that there were no words to express it. Nothing except, “I am happy, Edward. More than I ever dared to dream of. I love you.”
“Come here,” he said, his voice rough and impatient now as he drew her to her feet, water cascading around her body as he pulled her against him, heedless of his own clothes. “Will you take me in all my dirt?” he asked, cupping her face with one rough hand.
“Oh, yes, how lovely,” Belle sighed, looking up at him from under her lashes.
Edward gave a snort of amusement. “Like that, is it?” he said, his voice rumbling with amusement and desire. “I can’t help but notice that my wife has a rather wicked and lascivious nature.”
“Perhaps,” Belle replied, her face the picture of innocence. “But only for you, Edward.”
“Damn right,” her husband muttered, releasing her for long enough to strip off his clothes. He grinned as he looked up, noting the look in her eyes, and Belle did nothing to hide her obvious admiration. “Will you come and watch me fight, then?” he asked, a teasing glint in his eyes.
“Oh, Edward!” Belle exclaimed, as Edward laughed at her excitement. “You wouldn’t object?”
Edward stepped forward and lifted her from the bath and into his arms, looking down at her with amusement. “Well, if I don’t let you, you’ll only scare me to death and create a terrible scandal by climbing a rickety ladder to look in a window or something equally dreadful.” He gave a dark chuckle at the chagrined look on her face. “Oh yes, love, I know you well enough by now. Besides,” he added, lowering his head to kiss her before lying her down on the bed, “I like it when you watch me.”
“You do?” she asked, as he settled beside her, smiling as he kissed a path down her neck.
“Mmmhmm,” he replied, too occupied with nuzzling the soft curve of her breast to form a reply.
“I’m glad. Because I would have found a way to watch you, whatever you said.”
Belle squealed as he nipped at her skin.
“I know, you little wretch,” he said, though his eyes were alight with humour as he continued on his path, painting pictures across her stomach with his tongue until she was breathless. She gave up on breathing at all, holding her breath as he parted the little thatch of curls between her legs and swept over her most intimate place with his tongue.
He looked up at her then, his green eyes dark and heavy with desire. “Show me just how wicked you can be, love,” he said, his voice a caress as he lowered his head once more.
Belle was only too happy to comply, finding no shame whatsoever in allowing Edward to pleasure her. She arched in him, spreading her legs to allow him to do so as thoroughly as he desired, which, as it turned out, was very thoroughly indeed.
The worries and stresses of the day fell away beneath his clever tongue, and the world shrank and contracted until she was aware of nothing but the touch of her husband’s mouth upon her skin.
Belle clutched at the bedclothes, writhing beneath him, gasping and moaning with wanton abandon as the glittering peak came into view. She came with a cry of delight, shattering beneath him as he continued his intimate assault on her senses, until he had wrung every last exclamation of pleasure from her.
He gave her no time to catch her own breath, moving over her with something close to desperation as he found his place, joining them together with one swift stroke.
“Ah, Belle,” he said, his shoulders taut as Belle caressed him, revelling in the play of muscle beneath her hands as he moved. “Oh, love, you feel like heaven.”
Belle replied in kind, murmuring encouragement and endearments until the ability to form words was driven from them both, their bodies too tangled in the pursuit of pleasure to allow room for thought. There was nothing but sensation, the feel of skin against skin, lips speaking more eloquently than words could do now, and both of them knowing that beneath all of it, they were loved.
Clutching at his powerful back, Belle held on tight as Edward cried out, holding her to him so tight that she could do nothing but ride the waves in his arms, rejoicing in his ecstasy just as much as in her own.
Much later, they lay together watching the embers of the fire dying in the darkness, warm and snug in each other’s arms. They were both sleepy, but too happy to leave each other’s company, even to close their eyes.
Edward’s head was pillowed on her breast, an arm and leg slung over her, pinning her to the mattress. He was heavy and she couldn’t move if she tried, and it was heavenly.
“Edward,” Belle said, trepidation at what she was going to say bringing her fully awake.
“Mmm,” Edward mumbled, his voice sleepy and warm as she toyed with his hair, stroking it and not caring that it was dusty still, as his bath had been long forgotten. He smelled strongly of smoke and soot and hard-working male, and she decided to get the words out before she became too distracted by other ideas.
“I have to tell you something.”